bring vs buying & bike brands in China

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I've heard a lot about bikes getting stolen in china and so I decided not to bring my really nice road bike with me this fall. Does anyone know what bike brands/types are standard in China and how much they cost? I'd like to do most of my commuting by bike and it'd be nice to buy a bike that was worth taking home when my studies are over.

What do you think? Is bike stealing really a big problem? I've heard someone mention that you can find Giant bikes in China. Are bikes there really much cheaper than in the US?

[Xiao Kui]

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Is bike stealing really a big problem?

Huge - so bad that there is a usually a market in each city (sometimes they move when the police put the pressure on) for stolen bikes, which you can read abt in other threads on this forum.
Locks are important but they are easily cut off or opened with a master key. I've lost 3 bikes in China - one a Giant that was stolen 3 hours after I bought it. I'm convinced the perp tailed me home from the Giant store. It was stolen (chain lock cut) outside my apartment while I was upstairs looking for my U lock. That was 7 years ago - I've learned a lot since then.

Basically dont' park your bike anywhere in the city where there isn't a designated bike parking lot, with someone collecting a few mao to watch the bikes. Most apartment complexes have pretty safe bike garages and as a resident you pay a small monthly fee to store your bike there.

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I've heard someone mention that you can find Giant bikes in China. Are bikes there really much cheaper than in the US?

You can get a low-end Giant for abt 400 yuan or $50 US. I think these are worth it because you don't end up doing much repair with the Giants and the cheaper bikes don't ride as smooth and you often end up doing repairs. The Giants are hassle-free. But I marked mine up(my second Giant - never stolen- had a couple cheap Chinese bikes in between) with a permanent marker and nail polish, covered the logos(was more interested in the bike itself than its appearance. ) Because a shiny new Giant attracts a lot of attention, as does any shiny new bike.

A good idea may be to 1. don't bring your nice bike to China 2. Get a low-end Giant while in China to use there and mark it up. Or get a Chinese bike. 3. Before you return to your home country get a good Giant or Diamondback to take home with you. These are 2 brands that I have seen in China- Giant is definitely easy to find. I lived in western China so there's probably more variety of brands in the east, where people have more money to spend.

[got_no_jaffas]

the only foriegn bike i have seen in beijing is giant. i have not seen any others, specialised, ridgeback, kona. my giant mtb cost me 900 kuai, and i still harbour doubts as to whether it is a real giant bike!

i have 2 big f@ck-off locks that cost me 200 kuai to lock the back wheel & the front wheel to something solid. i do not however leave my bike locked on the street very often. usually i lock it at blcu.

bike theft is a problem but if you look at some of the locks that people have, i reckon i could steal their bike just by snapping the lock. i recommend you actaully lock your bike to something & not leave it locked freestanding.

i am pretty happy with the bike, the first chinese made bike i bought was a right piece of crap that lasted 1 week before the chain snapped & bits fell off it. this is actually the norm, it would be highly irregular if a chinese made bike did not fall apart on you.

cycle defensively & do not think you have right of way. i have collided once & i have seen many other cyclist collisions & crashes in 3 months here than i have ever seen in my life back in london or singapore.

[venture160]

there is a TREK store here in Beijing, in XiCheng, someone where on the 2nd ring road... i've passed it a few times.

[artichoke]

Someone had parked a Bianchi at the BLCU bike racks near South Gate when I was there last year. Otherwise, Giants are all I've seen that I recognise from home. I bought a Forever foldup, and it lasted quite perfectly for the 3 months I used it. I have since given/loaned (whatever) to one of my Chinese friends. I'll either borrow my bike back on my return or buy another one - but this time one of the cheaper 80yuan ones I think. It only costs a few yuan to get any repairs.

[paramoreap]

Do they make bikes in China that would accommodate a 6'4" male?

[adrianlondon]

Yes, but you'll be buying new rather than second-hand. There are loads of Giant stores around in Beijing; I assume other cities are the same. Don't let the name "giant" fool you; most of the bikes are still for small people.

In China, everyone rides bolt upright and with their knees permanently bent, so the bike frames feel small even for someone not as tall as you.

[pandaxiongmao]

If it is a real Giant dealer, they should be able to order a 23 inch frame for you and swap the parts with one of their frames on the floor.

It can be difficult, but I found a 23 inch knockoff GT frame on the Internet for 300 kuai. I built my bike up from that. It also has the advantage a lot of would-be thieves are too short to actually ride my bike away. I still use a Kryptonite lock I brought from home to lock my bike though, and always park in an attended area.

[geraldc]

Ironically lots of people in the UK are now ordering high end made to measure titanium bike frames direct from China as they're so cheap (well relatively, anyway). I know a few people have ordered from here http://www.xacd.com.cn/ and are happy with the results.

[pinkpolish]

hi friend,
today my bike was also stolen from parking place of my classroom.. i am very upset... of course what else can i do? can you tell me where these stolen bikes are sold in zhengzhou, henan province, china?